Paradise
by Dewgong
Summary: AU: Upon becoming king, Seto is forced to deal with quite a few problems: a crazy uncle who wants his dead, women trying to seduce him, and a slave who never stopped loving him.
1. Moving Forward

"Seto, slow down. You're too fast!" a little girl screamed as she chased a boy who looked a year or two older than her.

Seto slowed down and started to laugh. "C'mon Ren. My baby brother can run faster than you."

She frowned at him. "Yeah right. He can only crawl."

"My point exactly."

She huffed and glared at him. "Well, I can swim much faster than you."

Seto shook his head. "I told you. I let you win, Serenity. I felt bad for always beating you."

"Yeah, right," Serenity said rolling her eyes. "What did you want to show me anyway?"

"This," Seto answered. He pulled a bush away from the side of the building. "It's a secret passageway. I hide out here sometimes when I want to get out of my lessons."

She laughed as she crawled inside. "Wow, this is so cool!"

The room was small but cozy. There was a woven blue rug covering the dusty floor. A small table sat off to the side where a picture rested on its top. The walls were a faded emerald as if they hadn't seen daylight in a long time. Judging by the lack of windows in the room, they probably hadn't.

"No one knows about this place. At least I don't think so. There are so many rooms in the castle that it's impossible that my parents can keep track of all of them," Seto whispered to Serenity.

"If no one knows about this place, they why are you whispering?" Serenity asked.

Seto cheeks grew pink. "Well…I don't want them to find out now."

Serenity smiled. "Thanks for showing this to me, Seto. I love it."

"What are best friends for?"

* * *

Serenity woke up with a gasp. The dream was still as vivid as it had been that day. She tired not to think about it too much. Seto and her had been best friends but that was before everything had changed.

"Serenity, are you awake?" a voice asked. An older woman entered the room smiling at the girl. She had never had a daughter but she liked to think if she had, her daughter would be like Serenity.

"Yes, Halima."

"Well, good. Get dressed then. We have a lot to do. There's going to be a party today so we don't have much time to get it ready," Halima said as she left the room.

Serenity sighed. It's not that she wasn't grateful to live in such a beautiful place and be treated so well, it was just hard to be a slave. It seemed like you never got a break.

She slowly changed as her mind drifted back to Seto. He had always been nice to her, even befriended her, but then his mother had died and his father had grown ill. That's when she started seeing less and less of him. He was always studying something or other. They had to prepare him in case his father died. They needed someone to take the throne, and at sixteen, Seto would be next in line. In other words, there was no more time for him to play or spend time with her.

Really, she shouldn't be surprised. She was a slave, not some princess. She was lucky he spent so much of his time with her.

"Serenity, are you ready?" Halima asked.

"Yes," Serenity called back. She had work to do. No more time needed to be wasted reliving the past.

Serenity smiled as she surveyed her work. The table was all set, the crystal and gold tableware shining in the bright afternoon sun, which streamed in from the huge wall to floor windows. The whole room sparkled with the new cleaning. Someone entered the room and stood near her.

"I think it's perfect. You can go back to your corridors now."

Serenity turned to look at the source of the voice. She had assumed it would be Halima, but the voice was masculine.

"Oh, it's you," Serenity said as she took a step back, not expecting to see Seto there. She rarely saw him anymore now that he was always studying. It seemed that was all he ever did. She noticed that he had grown taller and stood a good foot above her. Gone was the boyish face, replaced by a strong chin that made him look much older than he was. The only thing that remained were the deep blues eyes which now stared at her.

She quickly realized her mistake and bowed before him. "I'm sorry, Your Highness."

"Just don't forget again," came his cold reply, "And you can leave now."

She held back the words that were trying so desperately to escape. What had happened to him? He had never treated her this way before. When they were children, they had seen each other as equals. Now he acted as if she was the lowest scum on the earth. She ran out of the room without looking back.

A man entered the room after Serenity had left.

"Just the way I taught you. Good," he said laughing. "If you don't treat them like slaves then they don't do anything. You'll make a great king, Seto."

Seto did not look at the man whom he hated more than any other person. "Thank you, Uncle."

The man placed a hand on Seto's shoulder. It took every ounce of strength Seto had to not shake it off.

"I only wish you were my own son."

Seto nodded his head, not wanting to say that he would rather be living on the streets starved to death than to be his uncle's son. That very thought of it made him shiver with revulsion. Fortunately, his uncle did not notice.

"Yes, Uncle," he answered unable to say anymore.

* * *

Serenity sat on her bed still thinking about what had happened earlier. She thought she had known Seto but it turns out, she had been wrong. Suddenly, a memory came back to her.

_Seto was eight and Serenity was six, as of that day. As a slave, she didn't really get presents. Halima had made her a new dress but that was about the extent of her birthday celebration. Seto, however, had received multiple gifts when he had turned eight a few weeks ago, all lavish items that cost a fortune. Of course, Serenity wasn't jealous. Seto was a prince after all. _

"_What do you have behind your back, Seto?" Serenity asked. She tired to peek around him but he took a few steps away. "C'mon, let me see."_

_Seto finally gave up and pulled out a small box from behind his back. "It's for you. You know for your birthday."_

_Serenity blinked unsure what to do. She hadn't expected this. Slowly, she took it from his small hands and turned it over in hers. Finally, she took the lid off and peered inside. In it, there lay a necklace laced in pure gold. A small heart shaped pendant held a brilliant diamond._

"_Seto, I can't…where did you get this?"_

_He laughed. "I'm a price, remember? Believe me we have lots of jewelry much more expensive than this. I like it because it was one of my mom's favorite necklaces."_

"_Well, then I definitely can't take it," she said handing it back to him._

_He closed her hand over the necklace. "Keep it. It's yours now. It shouldn't lie in a corner gathering dust."_

_She shook her head. "But I'm just a slave."_

_Smiling, Seto replied, "Not to me you aren't."_

_Serenity pulled a box out from under her bed. The box fit snugly in her palm. Carefully, she removed the lid and peered down inside. The necklace remained nestled inside. She knew if she sold it she would have more than enough money to leave her life of slavery and live on her own, but for some reason, she couldn't do it. Even after all these years and despite the fact that she was no longer friends with Seto, she still kept it. Maybe it was because it was so beautiful or maybe it was because it was the only gift she had ever received. More than likely, however, it was because the necklace reminded her of a time when two completely different people became friends under the most unlikely of circumstances. _

* * *

Seto sat at the table surrounded by royal people, some he knew, most he didn't. His ailing father sat next to him even though the doctors had insisted he stay in bed. His younger brother sat on the other side of him, too young to bother to worry.

High-pitched laughter filled the air causing Seto to cringe. At his father's insistence, the party was filled with young prospective daughter-in-laws. Seto decided he would rather shoot himself than marry one of these women.

His uncle cleared his throat from across the table. "You're very quiet tonight, Seto. Aren't you having fun?"

Seto glared at his uncle who knew full well that was the last thing he was having. His uncle smirked in return, probably delighted that Seto was suffering.

"I think I should get to bed," Seto announced. He couldn't stay here for one more minute. These girls were interested in one thing and one thing only: becoming the next queen. Honestly, they could care less about him or his family so long as they got what they wanted.

His father looked at him. "It's much too early for that. Sit back down, Seto."

He sighed but did as he was told. Seto did not care about this party or impressing anyone, but he did not want to upset his sick father. Since his mother had died, he only had his father and brother left. He really didn't count his uncle since he despised that man.

Suddenly, his father began coughing violently. Seto turned to look at him. "Are you alright, Father?"

His father tried to nod but the coughing worsened. Soon he was gasping for breath.

"Your Majesty!" the guards and servants cried rushing forward to aid him.

Seto sat there in mute horror unable to move. He wanted to help but what could he do? Mokuba began crying and he turned to face him. "Shhh, Mokuba. It will be okay."

Mokuba nodded but continued to cry. People began running all around them. Seto focused on the one thing he could control: his baby brother. He wrapped his arms around Mokuba and held him close promising to never let him go.

* * *

"A great king and ruler of this country. He will be dearly missed. He leaves two loving sons behind who…"

Words faded into the background. Seto stood still with his brother beside him. He just wanted the service to be over. Most of these people didn't even know his father and yet they were all crying. He stared at them thinking how weak they must be to cry for someone they had never met.

"Seto, who will take care of us now?" Mokuba asked suddenly tears freely falling down his face whereas Seto's face remained perfectly dry.

"Don't be silly, Mokuba. That's what the slaves are for," Seto whispered trying not to draw unwanted attention their way since they were supposed to be quiet. "Besides, you still have me."

"Seto, I thought I taught you better than this," his uncle said suddenly standing beside him. "It's rude to talk when the priest is talking."

Seto thought if it was so rude, then why was his uncle talking? Instead he murmured an apology and looked away. He noticed Serenity standing next to Halima a few feet away. He saw that Serenity was crying. Seto stared at her and wondered if it was just as painful for her to be here as it was for him. Since she had never known her parents, his father had always made sure to be kind to her. Even though she was a slave, she had never been treated poorly. His father had treated everyone with respect and kindness.

Mokuba wiped at his eyes and grabbed Seto's hand as they ceremony came to a close. "Look Seto, there's Serenity."

While Seto rarely saw Serenity anymore, Mokuba would often hang around her while she did her chores. He said he liked her the best out of any of the other slaves there. "You can go say hi to her if you would like."

Mokuba smiled at his brother and let go of his hand. He ran over to Serenity and Halima. While Seto couldn't hear what they were saying, he knew Serenity must have made his brother feel better because Mokuba smiled for the first time since their father had died.

After a few minutes, they looked his way. Mokuba was pulling Serenity towards Seto but she stood rooted in her place. Seto quickly looked away.

"Seto," his uncle said looking at him. "You have a lot of important things to do today. Follow me. We've wasted enough time here."

Seto glanced back at Mokuba and Serenity. Her eyes met his and she took a step forward. His uncle grabbed his arm and roughly pulled him away. He didn't dare to look back.


	2. Of Lies and Seduction

Seto stared at the book in front of him. He was sick of studying. While he was technically the new king, his uncle had become a regent until he turned eighteen. In other words, he had no real power since he was still a minor.

A knock on the door interrupted his studies. Seto glanced at the book again and closed it. He was done for today whether his uncle liked it or not.

"Come in," he called.

A moment later, a head full of long black hair poked its way in. "Hi, Seto."

Seto smiled at his younger brother. "Didn't uncle tell you not to bother me?"

Mokuba gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, but we really never listen to him anyway. Besides you're the real king, Seto, so you're in charge."

"I told you, Mokuba, until I'm eighteen, he's in charge."

Mokuba frowned. "Well, that's not fair. He's just jealous that he was younger than dad so he never got to be king."

"While that may be true, I can't do anything about it…yet," Seto smirked. One day his uncle would get what he deserved. While he was related by blood to that wretched man, that was all they had in common.

"Well, when you're eighteen, you should have him exiled from the country," Mokuba declared and laughed at the thought.

Seto gave a small smile. "Yeah, something like that."

Footsteps were heard approaching the room. Mokuba and Seto looked at each other. Unsure of who it was, Mokuba leaped under Seto's pillows so that he would be well-hidden if it was their uncle. If he saw Mokuba in here, he knew his brother would be in a lot of trouble.

To Seto's relief Halima appeared in the doorway instead.

"Your highness, forgive me, but have you seen your younger brother. He was supposed to begin music lessons today and the instructor is here," Halima told him. She surveyed the room as if she knew Mokuba was in there.

Seto's face remained blank and he pretended to think about it for a minute.

"Nope," he finally said. "I haven't seen him since breakfast. I'm sure he's probably playing outside."

Halima did not look convinced but she nodded her head anyway. "Yes, of course. I will go check outside for him."

She bowed and began leaving the room before turning back. "If you do see your brother, tell him the instructor is a friend of your uncle's so naturally he's an awful man. If I was Mokuba, I'd stay out of sight for the rest of the day."

Seto assured her that he would tell Mokuba, if he did happen to see him, of course. Halima winked in the direction of the bed and left the room.

"That's why she's one of my favorites," Mokuba said revealing himself.

"She knew you were here the whole time," Seto answered. "You should probably hide better the next time in case it's our uncle."

Mokuba smiled. "Oh, Halima is much smarter than Uncle any day. He never would have realized I was in here."

"Well, even so, we need to be more careful. Besides, he's not as dumb as he looks."

Mokuba sighed. His brother was right. His uncle was very sneaky to say the least. Still, he was sure that his hiding place was good enough to fool him. Still he would find a better one the next time. He didn't want his brother to get in trouble because of him.

"Okay, Seto."

* * *

The new regent, although he preferred to be called king but for now this would do, sat in the throne. He hated his nephews. They stood in the way of the crown. If he could just get rid of Seto, Mokuba wouldn't even be a threat. Seto, however, was far too smart to fall for any of his tricks so for now he would employ the help of a beautiful princess. Her name was Aphrodite, quite an appropriate name for the seductive beauty. With her silky black hair, tanned skin, and piercing green eyes, she attracted much attention.

"Beautiful Aphrodite," Seto's uncle, whose unfortunate name was Harpalyke, began, "I'm so glad too see you again. I have a favor to ask of you."

"You would not be the first," she answered breezily. "I will only help if I benefit from this as well."

"Even though I helped to raise you?"

Aphrodite scoffed. "You gave my parents some money which they repaid you. That hardly counts as raising me."

"Smart and beautiful," Harpalyke said covetously. He looked over her, his eyes filled with lust. She did not turn away in disgust, however, since she was quite used to it. Men of all ages had looked at her this way before.

She smiled. "If I wasn't, I'd be taken advantage of. I learned that a long time ago."

A mischievous smile lit up his face at the thought. This time a shiver ran up her spine, but he was too lost in his daydream to notice. "Don't give me any ideas, my dear."

Her impassive face hid her disgust. Instead she gave him a playful smile.

"Not now," she purred. "Let's not get off topic. Why did you want me to come here?"

"I have a nephew who is technically the new king since my brother's untimely death."

"Yes, I have heard about him," Aphrodite replied. "Seto, right? I hear he's quite popular with the ladies."

He scowled. "Yes, he inherited his mother's looks. He lacks his father's charming personality, though. In fact, I'm quite sure he will never find a girl to settle down with."

"Which is where I come in," Aphrodite supplied for him. She knew where this was going.

He gave her an appraising nod. "You are much more intelligent than people give you credit for. I want you to seduce him, make him fall in love with you, earn his trust. Then you are to get rid of him. I don't care how you do it. If it means breaking his heart so that he commits suicide or killing him yourself, I don't care. Either way it needs to look like an accident so no one traces it back to me."

"And what do I get from this?"

"Besides the pleasure of getting the most-cold hearted sought after prince to fall in love with you?" Harpalyke asked.

"Well, you see that's just it. I could do that and then marry him. Then I'll become the queen. So why should I do it your way?" she asked.

He laughed. "Your brilliance is uncanny."

"Yes, you've mentioned that."

The regent looked her over again. "You'll marry me and become my queen."

The laughter erupted out of her before she could stop it. He couldn't be serious.

"I think Seto is more my type. Plus he has a younger brother. If something did happen to Seto, his brother would become the next king, not you."

"As for Mokuba," he said. "Leave that to me. He's of little concern to me. As for you, my darling, if you do not agree, that little country you call home will soon be mine. You know if we went to war, your people wouldn't stand a chance. You wouldn't want to endanger your people, would you?"

Instead of arguing and simply telling him he was out of his mind, Aphrodite gave him an innocent look. "You've got a deal."

Little did he know just how cunning Aphrodite could be.

Serenity was passing a room when she saw the most beautiful woman. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealously, but she quickly pushed it away. She was a slave so of course she didn't look like that. Still she couldn't help but wish she did.

"You, slave girl, where can I find Seto?"

Serenity realized that the dazzling woman was not only now in front of her, but also talking to her. She blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sure he's in his room studying. He's almost always in there."

"Are you going to show me where that is or are you going to make me guess?" Aphrodite asked rudely. She hated incompetent slaves.

Serenity looked at her and blinked in surprise. She was not used to being talked to like this. Occasionally, Harpalyke would make some rude comment but he mainly just ignored her. Besides Halima said he was a greedy, arrogant man who should do the world a favor and just die. Of course, she only said this when they were in the slaves' corridor.

"Well?" Aphrodite asked angrily. When she was through, she'd make sure that this girl was cast back onto the streets where she belonged.

"Oh, yes. I'm very sorry. I'll take you there right now."

Aphrodite followed Serenity through the twists and turns of the castle. It was quite impressive, much bigger than her home. She would fit in quite well here.

Serenity suddenly stopped and Aphrodite almost ran into her. The girl pointed at the room a few feet away. "That one. That's his room."

"Aren't you going to introduce me? Don't you slaves do anything around here?" Aphrodite muttered.

Serenity held back her anger. Jut because this woman was beautiful and royal didn't mean she could treat everyone else like garbage. Instead of yelling at her, Serenity simply nodded and knocked on Seto's door. She didn't really want to talk to him. She mainly avoided him since it was obvious he could care less about her now.

Seto opened his door carefully and looked outside. His eyes pierced into Serenity's and for a moment she forgot what she was going to say.

"Your highness," she finally began. "You have a visitor."

He eyes flickered over to the other woman and then back to Serenity. "Tell her I'm busy."

With that, he shut the door. Aphrodite was in too much shock to become angry. No man had ever been so cold to her before.

Suddenly, the door opened up and Mokuba peered out. He smiled at Serenity and then looked at Aphrodite, letting out a small gasp. "Big brother, she's so pretty."

His brother reappeared at the door and looked down at Mokuba. "People aren't always what they appear to be. Don't judge a book by its cover."

Finally, Aphrodite found the words to voice her irritation. "What is that supposed to mean? No one has ever spoken to me this way before, and I don't intend to let you."

His eyes blazed with anger and she took a step back. "While you obviously don't know who you're speaking to, I know exactly who you are. Aphrodite, daughter of Fernando and Augustina, princess of Spain. Your parents have tried to find you a husband for many years but you prefer to have orgies with your numerous lovers. Princes, knights, and even some kings have tried to tame you but they always fall victim to your trap. It's all a game to you. Seduce them and then break their hearts. Sorry, but I'm not interested. I have much more important things to deal with than whores."

She looked like someone had slapped her. Obviously, she was not used to hearing the truth. Serenity barely contained her laughter. She was glad someone had told this girl off.

"Serenity, obviously this woman can't take a hint, would you kindly show her the way out," Seto asked.

Aphrodite glared at him. "You call a princess a whore but yet you treat this slave girl with respect?"

"If it isn't trash, then I'll show it some respect."

At this, Mokuba giggled earning a sharp look from Serenity and a death glare from Aphrodite. He quickly hid behind the shelter of his big brother. Seto stood patiently at his door. Finally, Aphrodite stormed off, telling the 'slave girl' that she didn't need her help.

Seto remained at his door and looked back at Serenity. His penetrating eyes caused her to look towards the ground.

"I'm sorry," he finally said.

Serenity look at him her eyes full of questions. He shut his door before she could ask any of them.

* * *

First off, thank you to all of you who reviewed or added this to their favorite/ alert list. I wasn't sure about this, but I'm glad people seem to like it. Your opinions matter a lot to me, and I appreciate you taking the time to review this.

As for those wondering about Seto's uncle's name: Harpalyke. Obviously, it's a very uncommon name. I picked it for a number of reasons. First, I said earlier that it was an unfortunate name, well at least for him. It's a female name given to one of Jupiter's moons. Three women in Greek mythology bore this name. One was a hunter, one married her father, and one committed suicide. Obviously, not a very good track record with the name. Finally, the first part of the name, harpa, most likely comes from the word harpy, or a beast "which snatches" so obviously it's a fitting name for the man.

Oh and I realize Aphrodite is a Greek, not Spanish name. Her mother, however, comes from Rome and chose the name for her daughter due to a fascination with mythology.


End file.
